When the Association’s Manpower Shortage Subcommittee met formally in August, the group discussed a number of issues but focused on the importance of fully funding the Board of Medical Scholarship Awards, scope of practice, physician pipeline programs, education and the possibility of GME expansion, recruitment and retention of physicians through meaningful tax credits and rural community support, and start-up business models. Now, the task force is continuing its work through three subcommittees.

The Task Force has now formed three subcommittees:

Pipeline Programs/Incentives Subcommittee

Dr. Bill Curry, Chair

Dr. Thomas Horton

Dr. Hamad Husainy

Dr. David Bramm

Dr. Lee Carter

Dr. Peter Strogov

Mr. Jeff Brannon

Dr. Bill Coleman

Black Belt Solutions/Community Engagement

Dr. John Wheat, Chair

Dr. Brittany Anderson, Co-Chair

Dr. Amanda Williams

Dr. Jeffery Stricker

Mr. Jeff Brannon

Mr. Joe Marchant

Dr. Bill Coleman

Dr. Hamad Husainy

Dr. Amanda Williams

Dr. Eric Wallace

Dr. John Brandon

Dr. Brittany Anderson

GME/Practice Incubator

Dr. David Bramm, Chair

Dr. Craig Lenz

Dr. Ashleigh Butts-Wilkerson

Dr. Jeffery Stricker

Dr. Peter Strogov

The Pipeline Programs/Incentives Subcommittee and the Black Belt Solutions/Community Engagement subcommittees have already held their first conference calls to better determine the state of each area and begin the process of determining what challenges they can expect and work to determine potential solutions. The GME/Practice Incubator Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a call on Oct. 11.

MONTGOMERY – Earlier this week, the Association’s Manpower Shortage Task Force met in person for the first time to begin addressing a resolution adopted by the House of Delegates at the 2018 Annual Meeting in April. The resolution, submitted by the Pickens County Medical Society, directs the Association’s new task force to develop and restore adequate health care manpower in all geographic areas in order to provide quality local health care for all Alabama citizens.

Members of the task force discussed a number of issues but focused on the importance of fully funding the Board of Medical Scholarship Awards, scope of practice, physician pipeline programs, education and the possibility of GME expansion, recruitment and retention of physicians through meaningful tax credits and rural community support, and start-up business models.

Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar and Dave White from the Governor’s Office joined the meeting to hear the concerns of the task force and take their report back to Gov. Kay Ivey.

“Because this was the first face-to-face meeting of the task force, we had a lot of ground to cover,” said Executive Director Mark Jackson. “Naturally there are a lot of concerns about health care shortages in rural areas, but our goal is a long-term solution. The members of the task force realize this isn’t an easy fix, which is why they were willing to express their concerns openly and honestly to the Governor’s staff.”

The task force and the resolution stand as a reminder that Alabama ranks in the last five of 50 states in health status categories, and while primary care medicine is effective in raising health status, supporting hospitals and improving the economic status of disadvantaged communities, the state’s aging population is causing an escalation in need for primary care physicians.

In response to a resolution passed by the House of Delegates during the 2018 Annual Meeting in Montgomery in April, the Board of Censors formed a new task force to develop and restore adequate health care manpower in all geographic areas in order to provide quality local health care for all Alabama citizens.

The resolution, submitted by the Pickens County Medical Society, stands as a reminder that Alabama ranks in the last five of 50 states in health status categories, and while primary care medicine is effective in raising health status, supporting hospitals and improving the economic status of disadvantaged communities, the state’s aging population is causing an escalation in need for primary care physicians.

The task force had its first meeting the week of July 23 and will meet again on Aug. 14. We will post details as they become available.